Jason Nolf won by major decision over Tyler Berger at 157 pounds (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (6-0, 2-0 B1G) hammered home-standing No. 6 Nebraska (7-1, 1-1 B1G) for its second Big Ten road victory of the weekend. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad won seven of ten bouts to roll to the 27-14 win.
The dual meet featured a Nittany Lion line-up with six underclassmen and a Husker line-up with six seniors in it. Penn State's seven wins included three majors and a pin as well as sophomore Bo Nickal's dominant win over TJ Dudley at 184.
The dual began at 125. True freshman Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J.), ranked No. 3, used a second period takedown to beat No. 5 Tim Lambert, giving Penn State an early 3-0 lead. At 133, sophomore George Carpenter took to the mat for No. 13 Jered Cortez (Carol Stream, Ill.) and suffered a 17-1 technical fall to No. 3 Eric Montoya. Nebraska's Colton McCrystal, ranked No. 13, used a first period flurry to down senior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 12 at 141, 12-5 and put the Huskers up 8-3.
Zain Retherford posted a 19-6 major decision (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Junior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, dominated Collin Purinton, posting a 19-6 major and staying unbeaten on the year. Sophomore Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, majored No. 3 Tyler Berger, dominating action from start to finish on his way to a 15-7 major and putting Penn State up 11-8 at the midway point. Nolf tallied a 6-1 takedown edge in the match.
Red-shirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 165, majored Nebraska's Dustin Williams 20-7, for the Lions' third straight bonus point win. Senior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) once again got the call at 174 and continued to impress with a 2-1 victory over Nebraska senior Micah Barnes. Morelli's win gave Penn State an 18-8 lead.
Sophomore Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 2 at 184, then downed No. 3 TJ Dudley 10-5, rolling up four takedowns to none for the Husker senior. Nebraska got a win at 197 where No. 7 Aaron Studebaker pinned Lion junior Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 11, at the 6:01 mark. Sophomore Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 5 at 285, put an exclamation point on the road win by pinning No. 15 Collin Jensen at the 6:01 mark to give the Nittany Lions the final 27-14 victory.
The Nittany Lions dominated the dual from start to finish, rolling up a 24-8 takedown advantage in winning seven of ten bouts. Penn State picked up six bonus points off a pin (Nevills) and three majors (Retherford, Nolf, Joseph). Penn State's Big Ten road weekend was successful with the Nittany Lions winning 15 of 20 bouts and outscoring the No. 9 (Minnesota) and No. 6 (Nebraska) teams in the country 60-20.
Retherford has now won 46 straight matches dating back to the end of the 13-14 season. He is 11-0 with nine pins, a tech and a major. Nolf is 11-0 with seven pins, a major and three techs. Nickal is 10-0 with eight pins and a major this season. Nevills and Suriano both remain unbeaten with 10-0 records as well. Nevills now has four pins and a tech fall this year.
The Nittany Lions are now 6-0 on the year, 2-0 in the Big Ten, and have won 23 straight duals dating back to the end of the 2014-15 campaign. Nebraska falls to 7-1, 1-1 B1G.
Penn State returns to Rec Hall for the first time in over a month on Friday, Jan. 13, when Rutgers invades Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. Big Ten dual. All Rec Hall dual meets are sold out, but a very limited number of Standing Room Only tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. The 2016-17 Penn State wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
Results:
125: #3 Nick Suriano PSU dec. #5 Tim Lambert NEB, 3-2 / 3-0
133: #3 Eric Montoya tech fall George Carpenter PSU, 17-1 (TF; 5:56) / 3-5
141: #13 Colton McCrystal NEB dec. #12 Jimmy Gulibon PSU, 12-5 / 3-8
149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU maj. dec. Collin Purinton NEB, 19-6 / 7-8
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU maj. dec. #3 Tyler Berger NEB, 15-7 / 11-8
165: #5 Vincenzo Joseph PSU maj. dec. Dustin Williams NEB, 20-7 / 15-8
174: Geno Morelli PSU dec. Michal Barnes NEB, 2-1 / 18-8
184: #2 Bo Nickal PSU dec. #3 TJ Dudley NEB, 10-5 / 21-8
197: #7 Aaron Studebaker NEB pinned #11 Matt McCutcheon PSU, WBF (6:01) / 21-14
285: #5 Nick Nevills PSU pinned #15 Collin Jensen NEB, WBF (6:01) / 27-14
Attendance: 2,373
Records: Penn State 6-0, 2-0 B1G; Nebraska 7-1, 1-1 B1G
Up Next for Penn State: home vs. Rutgers, Friday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m., in Rec Hall
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: True freshman Nick Suriano (Paramus, N.J.), ranked No. 3 at 125, met Husker senior Tim Lambert, ranked No. 5. The duo battled through a scoreless minute-plus, with Suriano stepping back from a solid Lambert shot at the 1:15 mark. Suriano returned with his own shot that Lambert moved away from with 1:00 in the period. After a scoreless first period, Suriano chose down to start the second stanza. Suriano quickly scrambled to an escape and a 1-0 lead. He then bulled through a high shot, continued to scramble behind the Husker senior, and notched his first takedown at the 1:31 mark. Lambert worked his way to an escape and a 3-1 score and Suriano had :29 in riding time to his side. Trailing 3-1, Lambert chose down to start the third period. Lambert escaped after a few seconds and cut Suriano's lead to 3-2. Suriano worked in on a single, controlling Lambert's left ankle as he struggled for a takedown. Lambert was able to get a stalemate call and a reset with :40 left in the match. The remainder of the period was scoreless and Suriano walked away with a 3-2 victory over the Husker senior.
133: Sophomore George Carpenter (Chapel Hill, N.C.) stepped in for No. 13 Jered Cortez at 133 and took on senior Eric Montoya, ranked No. 3. Montoya worked his way to a takedown on the edge of the mat early in the first period, getting the takedown at the 2:34 mark. He built up a 1:10 riding time edge before cutting Carpenter loose to a 2-1 score. The third-ranked senior notched a second takedown with :50 on the clock to take a 4-1 lead. Montoya added four back points to lead 8-1 after one. The Husker chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 9-1 lead. Carpenter worked his way into control of Montoya's left ankle, forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat. Montoya was able to scramble his way to the takedown and an 11-1 lead with :45 on the clock. Trailing 11-1, Carpenter chose neutral to start the third period. Carpenter looked to score on another low single but a potentially dangerous halted action. The Husker quickly took Carpenter down and turned him for a final four back points to get the 17-1 technical fall at the 5:56 mark.
141: Senior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 12 at 141, battled No. 13 Colton McCrystal. McCrystal came out hot, using a fast low double to open up an early 2-1 score. The scored again quickly off the reset and led 4-2 after a Gulibon escape at the1:09 mark. Still firing fast, the Husker added a third takedown with :50 left and upped his lead to 6-2. McCrystal rode the Lion out and led 6-2 with 2:18 in time after two. Gulibon chose down to start the second period and McCrystal caught him as he tried to roll to an escape, nearly pinning the Lion. The four near fall points gave the Husker a commanding 10-2 lead with over 3:00 in riding time. Gulibon escaped with :50 on the clock to cut the lead to 10-3. Gulibon gained control of McCrystal's leg with :20 left, but the Husker was able to force a stalemate and kill the clock. McCrystal chose down to start the third period. Gulibon maintained control until the 1:00 mark before cutting him loose. He then blurred through a fast takedown to cut the lead to 11-5. McCrystal tried to work for an escape, but Gulibon maintained control for the rest of the period and kept the bout to a decision. McCrystal posted the 12-5 win.
149: Junior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, met Collin Purinton. Retherford scored quickly, taking the Husker freshman down for 2-0 lead and then building up :28 in time before the Husker escaped. Retherford added a second takedown and then broke Purinton down on the edge of the mat. He worked his riding time edge up to over 1:00 and continued on with a ride out. Leading 4-1 with over 2:00 in time, Retherford chose down to start the second period. He escaped and quickly turned into Purinton, taking him down again. Purinton managed a reversal but Retherford quickly escaped and took him down again to lead 10-3. Retherford cut Purinton loose with :40 left and then quickly took him down again to lead 12-4. Purinton escaped off a reset and Retherford countered a Husker shot for another takedown and a 14-5 lead. Purinton chose down to start the third period and Retherford made him pay, turning him for two back points and a 16-5 lead. Retherford cut Purinton off a reset and began working for another takedown. Retherford forced Purinton into a stall and then picked up a final takedown. His 3:35 in riding time gave the Lion a 19-6 major.
157: Sophomore Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, took on No. 3 Tyler Berger. Nolf scored quickly, forcing a scramble with a high single that ended with a Lion takedown at the 2:26 mark. The sophomore then went to work on top, building up 1:08 in time before Berger escaped to a 2-1 score. Nolf quickly took Berger down again, upping his lead to 4-2 after cutting the Husker loose. Nolf used brute strength at shoulder level for a third takedown as the period ended and led 6-2 after one. Berger chose down to start the second period and Nolf cut him loose to work on more offense. The Lion picked up two quick takedowns and led 10-5 just :50 into the middle stanza. Nolf fought off a solid Berger shot at the :37 mark, forcing a stalemate, and used a fast low single to up his lead to 12-5 with 1:41 in riding time after two. Nolf chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 13-5 lead. The Lion sophomore fought off another Berger single, then a third, forcing a reset with :50 on the clock. Berger connected on a high double to cut the lead to 14-7 after a Nolf escape with :30 left in the period. Nolf would pick up another point on 1:15 in riding time and posted the 15-7 major decision.
165: Red-shirt freshman Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 165, battled Dustin Williams. Joseph scored quickly and then cut Williams loose to a 2-1 score. He countered a solid Williams shot and scored four quick points on a throw and two near fall to lead 6-2 after cutting the Husker loose. Joseph added a third takedown with :30 on the clock. Williams managed a reversal and Joseph escaped to lead 9-4 after one period. Joseph chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed Williams to up his lead to 11-4. Joseph then built up a solid riding time edge, working for a chance to turn the Husker on top and forcing him into a stall warning as well. Joseph finished the period on top and led 11-4 with 2:20 in time after two periods. Williams chose down to start the third period and Joseph cut him loose to start the third. He quickly took him down and led 13-6 after another cut. Joseph nearly ended the match with a pin, throwing Williams to the mat and picking up four near fall points. After a Williams escape and a Joseph riding time point (2:49 in time), the Lion freshman posted the 20-7 major.
174: Senior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) took to the mat at 174 to face senior Micah Barnes of Nebraska. The duo battled evenly for over 2:00 with neither wrestler finding a real opening to move through offensively. Morelli looked to connect on a high double but Barnes was able to move back and keep the bout scoreless after the opening period. Morelli chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Morelli worked in on a high single but Barnes was able to move out of bounds and get a reset with 1:11 on the clock. Morelli worked another high double on the edge of the mat but once again Barnes moved out of bounds and a reset commenced with :15 left in the period. Morelli did force Barnes into a stall warning with :10 on the clock. Down 1-0, Barnes chose down to start the third period but Morelli was strong on top. The Lion senior built up over 1:00 in riding time before the Husker bench challenged for an illegal hold to stop action. The call on the mat was confirmed and action continued with Morelli in the top position. Morelli was able to keep control of the Husker until only :06 remained and the 1:50 in riding time gave the Lion the 2-1 win.
184: Sophomore Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 2 at 184, battled senior TJ Dudley, ranked No. 3, in the dual's marquee match-up. Nickal drew first blood with a swift low double to takedown at the 1:43 mark. Dudley escaped off a reset and action resumed in the center circle with Nickal leading 2-1 midway through the period. The early takedown was the lone one of the opening period and Nickal led 2-1 after one. Nickal chose down to start the second period. The Lion sophomore steadily worked his way to an escape and picked up a third point on an illegal hold. Nickal went to work on offense, forcing Dudley to the outside circle for the rest of the period and carried a 4-1 lead into the final stanza. Dudley chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped. Nickal, however, continued to press on offense and picked up his second takedown to lead 6-3 after cutting the Husker loose at the 1:35 mark. Nickal lifted Dudley off the mat and took him down of an 8-3 lead at the 1:10 mark. Looking for bonus points, Nickal cut the Husker senior loose and took him down again to lead 10-4 with :20 left. Nickal cut Dudley loose and, in the end, posted a dominating 10-5 win over the third-ranked Husker.
197: Junior Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 197, met senior Aaron Studebaker, ranked No. 7. The duo battled evenly for the first two minutes, with McCutcheon looking to connect on low openings and Studebaker trying to control action up top. Neither wrestler scored and the bout moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Studebaker chose down to start the second period and scrambled his way to a reversal and a 2-0 lead with 1:46 on the clock. McCutcheon quickly escaped to a 2-1 score and action resumed in the middle of the mat. The Lion junior continued to press offensively, maintaining control of the center of the mat but Studebaker's defense gave the Husker a 2-1 lead after two periods. McCutcheon chose down to start the third period and Studebaker caught him trying to roll out for an escape. The Husker senior was able to get the fall at the 6:01 mark.
285: Sophomore Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 5 at 285, battled senior Collin Jensen, ranked No. 15. Nevills took the first real shot of the match at the 2:00 mark, forcing a scramble that ended with a stalemate at the 1:22 mark. Nevills worked his way in on a single leg and scored when Jensen asked for injury time. The stoppage gave Nevills the choice and the Lion sophomore took down. Nevills scrambled his way to a reversal and a 4-0 lead with :30 left. Nevills went to work on top and rode the senior out to lead 4-0 after one period. Jensen chose down to start the second stanza and escaped but Nevills had 1:02 in riding time. Leading 4-1, Nevills chose down to start the third period. He fought off a solid Jensen turn attempt, reversed the Husker and then turned him for a pin at the 6:01 mark.
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